TREW: Not Just a Shift in Product

If you’re like us and don’t own any Trew gear, you’ve probably seen it on the skin track, or at the very least heard someone rave about their bib pants. We’ve always heard their gear was super bomber but a little heavy for life in the skin track. We were stoked last year to hear TREW was in the process of developing a touring specific line. With splitboarders like Cindi and Zach Grant on their team, we were excited to see what they had brewing. As fall was quickly approaching this year, we were surprised when we couldn’t find a catalog or any information on the touring line. We reached out to TREW founder, Tripp Frey for details on the touring line but walked away learning it’s not just their products which are changing.

“We won’t accept limits on innovation and performance, and found the best products couldn’t be built in the traditional retail model.” – Tripp Frey

With the recent (hopefully temporary) closure of Venture Snowboards, you can’t help but give some thought to how difficult it is for small brands to operate within this sea of large corporations. If a company is going to thrive or survive they have to do something different. Tripp explained how the model which TREW was operating in, would not allow them to offer the gear they wanted to produce. In the traditional retail model, TREW prepared their products with styles and materials almost two years in advance. These styles and materials were then manipulated by the needs and demands of the retailers. The retailers decided which styles, and color ways would be purchased and decided how much they were willing to purchase them for. If a retailer wanted to sell an item for a specific price point they would have to purchase it for a specific price as well. This often meant that materials or features had to be scaled back in order to meet the purchase price the retailer wanted. These changes went against everything TREW stood for, after all they wanted to make products for the rider not the retailer.

To combat this, TREW has changed the traditional retail model. They have cut out the middleman. Without the middleman TREW has been able to reduce the end cost to the rider and push the money used for distribution, tradeshows, and retail margin back into the products. TREW can now utilize the higher quality fabrics and materials they have wanted to use while delivering them at more affordable prices. Byproducts of this change will be a significant increase in speed to market and selling directly will allow them to have a better pulse on what riders want. If a new material is released, or style/colorway is desired, TREW can, and plans to release limited edition pieces throughout the season.

With TREW’s ability to utilize some of the highest quality materials they are introducing Quixdown, Nuyarn and Dermizak NXMembrane into their traditional and new touring line. Tripp explained that these materials are some of the most advanced materials in the market and perform better at every measurable. When asked why TREW has decided to develop a touring specific line, Tripp said, “People love the gear, but said it’s too heavy, too beefy, and not breathable enough.” The touring line for this season will feature the Roam Bib (3/4 bib with dedicated beacon pocket) and Wander Jacket for both men and women. The touring line features a redesigned fit with additional stretch, reduced weight, more ventilation and the highest combination of waterproofness and breathability.

Check out the new tech materials and touring line below.

NuYarn® takes the twist out of the yarn, wrapping plush merino around a superfine nylon core. Straight fibers are the key: they give the thread more bulk, more strength, more stretch, and a smoother finish. The final fabrics have incredible performance advantages over ring-spun equivalents, and the resulting garments are stronger, stretchier, quicker drying, warmer gram-for-gram and more comfortable than any merino base layer you’ve ever worn.

Quix Down® – Natural goose down is a near-perfect insulator, with incredible warmth-to-weight ratio and comfort unmatched by synthetics. Once wet, however, down loses its loft and has lengthy dry times. Toray QUIX DOWN® uses nanotechnology to bind a waterproof finish to the down clusters. The down retains its signature loft and compressibility, while remaining completely waterproof through more than 10 wash cycles.

Dermizax® NX – After years of product testing in brutal conditions, we’ve found Toray membranes to be the most dependable and durable waterproof membranes available. They’re able to retain their weatherproof characteristics even when stretched, stressed, and abused, season after season and wash after wash. Dermizax® NX is the latest evolution of their flagship membrane, and it achieves groundbreaking levels of breathability and stretch without compromising weather protection.

Touring Line

Men’s and Women’s Roam 3/4 Bib

Mobility and protection can go hand-in-hand. Super-articulated design and a stretch-woven bib upper make for easy climbing, while reinforced Dermizax NX fabrics from the waist down offer extremely breathable, abrasion-resistant weatherproofing. A reinforced, dedicated beacon-pocket fits perfectly on the right thigh and allows for quicker and easier access.

Our women’s touring bib checks all the backcountry boxes. Its trim fit, superb ventilation, and free range of motion keep you cool and quick on the skin track. Reinforced Dermizax® NX fabric and creative storage solutions—including a dedicated beacon pocket—keep you shredding hard on the way down.

Die-hard, super-breathable 3-layer protection for storm riding, in a light and packable design that stuffs away under bluebird skies. The Wander Jacket excels on the skin track and the descent, with a trimmer fit than our FREERIDE line that provides excellent coverage and movement thanks to enhanced articulation.

Under blue skies or gray, the Wander Jacket brings the PNW-proven weather protection and lightweight packability you need for all-day, all-weather touring. Cut trim to reduce weight and bulk, with enhanced articulation for athletic ascents and downhill freedom.

About The Author

Colin Balke is a content editor for Splitboard.com who lives in Northern California. When not plucking away on a keyboard, he can be found splitboarding, camping, backpacking, or hanging out with family and friends.